Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcomes of hernia mesh repair during GI cancer surgery
By Farooq MS et al.·2026·Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, United States·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Postoperative Outcomes of Concurrent Ventral Mesh Herniorrhaphy at the Time of Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery.
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the safety of fixing a ventral hernia (a type of abdominal bulge) at the same time as surgery for gastrointestinal cancer. Researchers analyzed data from over 3,400 patients who had both surgeries between 2016 and 2022. They found that while the use of mesh for the hernia repair led to longer surgery times and hospital stays, it did not significantly increase the risk of skin and soft tissue infections compared to traditional hernia repair without mesh. However, patients who had the mesh repair were more likely to face other complications, such as needing a blood transfusion or being readmitted to the hospital. Overall, while the mesh repair did not lead to more infections, it was linked to a higher rate of other issues, so careful consideration is needed when deciding on this approach.
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>Concurrent ventral hernia repair with mesh (mVHR) at the time of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer resection remains controversial due to concerns of increased skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and mesh-related complications, which may delay receipt of systemic cancer therapies and affect both surgical and oncologic outcomes. Given the health and quality-of-life burden imposed by hernias, we sought to analyze the safety of concurrent mVHR and GI cancer resection.<h4>Study design</h4>The American College of Surgeons NSQIP database was queried for patients who underwent resection of GI malignancy and concurrent open VHR (with and without mesh) from 2016 to 2022. Perioperative outcomes of mVHR vs primary VHR (pVHR) were assessed before and after 1:2 propensity score matching. The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative SSTI rate.<h4>Results</h4>Of 3,449 patients undergoing concurrent VHR with GI cancer resection, 224 (6.5%) underwent mVHR. After matching (n = 174 mVHR; n = 305 pVHR), mVHR was found to be associated with longer operative time (242.5 vs 170 minutes, p < 0.001) and length of stay (7 vs 5 days, p = 0.002). The overall complication rate was higher in the mVHR cohort (43.1% vs 28.2%, p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference in SSTI rate (7.5% vs 5.6%, p = 0.410). mVHR was associated with higher rates of readmission (20.7% vs 11.5%, p = 0.006), blood transfusion (20.7% vs 10.5%, p = 0.006), and reoperation (8.6% vs 3.6%, p = 0.020).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Of patients undergoing hernia repair concurrently with GI cancer resection, only 6.5% of patients underwent mVHR. mVHR was not associated with increased 30-day postoperative SSTIs vs pVHR but was associated with increased length of stay and other postoperative complications. Patient selection for concurrent mVHR must weigh the benefits of durable mesh-based repair with increased perioperative morbidity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41051076